Join Australian Adventurer, Tim Cope, for an unforgettable trekking adventure in western Mongolia. Tim takes us from Ulaan Baatar to Ulaangom in the west where we begin the trek in the Harhiraa mountains in the greater Altai range. This is home to a small and intriguing ethnic group called the 'Khotont.' Our trek follows the migratory routes of the Khotont families along the Harhiraa river gorge and eventually up to the spectacular high pass at 3000m between Harhiraa and Turgen peaks. Along the way we'll pass evidence of ancient nomadic people in the form of Turkic gravestone markers. The second half of the Harhiraa trek descends towards the Khovd River. The landscape of the Harhiraa is dominated by open slopes dotted with nomad tents, deep river gorges, alpine lakes, and the inspiring, glacier capped peaks of Harhiraa and Turgen. The second, less demanding part of the journey takes us to Olgiy, the capital of the Kazakh Province of Western Mongolia, and the spectacular mountain of 'Tsaast Uul'. It is here we will experience the Kazakh people who are renown eagle hunters and trainers.
Brief Itinerary
| DAY 1 |
Join Ulaanbaatar |
| DAY 2 |
Fly to Ulaangom, drive to Tarialan |
| DAYS 3/10 |
Trek in Harhiraa mountains- part of the greater Altai range following the migratory routes of the Khotont people along the Harhiraa river gorge and eventually up to the spectacular high pass at 3000m between Harhiraa and Turgen peaks |
| DAY 11 |
Drive to Olgi |
| DAY 12 |
Drive to Tsaast Uul, stay with Kazakh nomads and see trained eagles and falcons |
| DAYS 13/14 |
Trek in Tsaast Uul region |
| DAY 15 |
Drive to Tolboo Nuur (lake) and camp |
| DAY 16 |
Drive to Olgiy, fly to Ulaanbaatar |
| DAY 17 |
Ulaanbaatar, trip concludes |
Trip Notes
click here to download
detailed trip notes
Inclusions
*trip accompanied by Tim Cope, Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year (2006) *16 breakfasts, 15 lunches and 16 dinners *internal flights valued at US$523 *airport transfers on day 1 & day 17 *expert bilingual guide *pack animal support during trek *medical kit *comfortable well located hotel in Ulaanbaatar *fully supported camping during trek *private vehicles *sightseeing and entry fees as listed in itinerary
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1. Download booking form
Booking onto one of our adventures has never been so easy. All you have to do is download a booking form (below).
2. Complete your details with deposit
Complete your details and fax or post to your nearest World Expeditions office along with your non-refundable deposit of NZD$400* per person per trip, or US$1500 per person for Antarctica and Arctic voyages.
Please note certain trips require a different deposit amount which will be advised at the time of booking.
3. Receive your pre-departure kit
On receipt of the booking form, we will confirm your booking and our reservation staff will post to you a comprehensive Pre-Departure Kit. This kit will contain all necessary pre-departure information pertaining to your country including visa information, insurance information, a medical and personal details form, comprehensive gear list, discount vouchers for gear, our award winning Responsible Travel Guidebook as well as other information tailored to your adventure.
4. We can also handle all those extras
World Expeditions is a licensed travel agent and we are able to handle every aspect of your booking from issuing travel insurance, booking your flights, stopovers and other travel related services. Our reservation staff are eager to help so please do not forget to include any extra arrangements that you may need.
Booking Form / Terms and Conditions
Please download, print and complete the booking form below and fax or post to your nearest World Expeditions office along with your non-refundable deposit. Please ensure you read the Terms and Conditions of Contract on the booking form.
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Note: If you cannot download this Booking Form contact your nearest World Expeditions office and we will post, email or fax you a copy.
World Expeditions
World Expeditions is one of the world’s leading adventure travel companies offering ground breaking itineraries on every continent. The company has been operating small group trekking and adventure travel holidays and vacations since 1975.
We are widely recognized for ground breaking Responsible Tourism initiatives. In particular, the award winning Community Project Travel Program helps to improve the living conditions of some of the world’s most remote communities
Today, with offices around the globe, we offer more than 500 stand alone itineraries; small group active adventures and expeditions, cycling and walking tours and cultural journeys. Each itinerary has several scheduled departure dates throughout the season.
Supported by some of the world's most experienced and respected adventurers, including mountaineers Peter Hillary and Tim Macartney-Snape working with us as specialist guides, World Expeditions’ has helped shape the adventure travel industry standards since its inception almost four decades ago.
Our all-inclusive, no hidden extras pricing policy combined with longer, creative itineraries and the use of quality ground services attracts people who have high expectations of their travel experiences.
In 2004, we became the first adventure operator whose product was being distributed on Lonely Planet’s Travel Services section on their website.
World Expeditions is truly global company with offices in London, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, as well as Auckland, Ottawa and Montreal.
Why Travel with World Expeditions?
We own most of our operational bases around the world. This ensures that we can provide high quality trips of exceptional value with no hidden extras. Our trips are all inclusive, so there is little need to pay for anything once your trip commences until it ends. Our hands-on approach and years of experience has ensured a safety record second to none as we’ve pioneered some of the most unique itineraries in the adventure market place today.
World Expeditions has been seriously committed to responsible travel and true sustainability since we began in 1975 when we established our philosophy and stated ideal which was to “take only photographs and leave only footprints”.
Almost four decades of pioneering adventure travel has proved the positive conservation outcomes when travel is managed for sustainability. We believe a responsible, long-term vision can deliver true sustainability and with the participation of all our clients and business partners the challenge is being met and achieved.
An example of this commitment to sustainability has been our efforts to preserve the forests of Nepal. This has involved changing an entrenched culture of burning wood for fuel. World Expeditions has pioneered the change to kerosene as an alternative to wood on all trekking expeditions in Nepal. We do not have camp fires and we strongly discourage trekkers from buying wood-fueled hot showers in lodges along the trail. As a founding supporter of the International Porter Protection Group (IPPG) we also lead the way in porter protection by providing a good working wage for all Nepalese staff, food and extra clothing for those working above the tree line, life insurance cover and emergency helicopter insurance. Our efforts were recognized at the World Travel Mart in 2006 when our porter policies received a ‘Highly Commended’ in the Mountain Environment category.
Our philanthropic program ensures we ‘give something back’. Our current initiative is Community Project Travel. The concept behind our Community Project Travel range of trips is based on the ethos of “travel with a purpose”. It is a range of small group adventures, each about two weeks in length, whereby participants commit four to five days of their holiday to making a difference to a community in need. A portion of the traveller’s participation fee contributes to the associated material costs of the project. In 2006 our travellers helped to refurbish the Saramthali school in Nepal, collected 7 tonnes of ghost nets from the Arnhem land coastline, helped to build a new school room for the Xo village in Vietnam as well as erect a footbridge for the village of Qelqanqa in Peru so that kids could access the school safely.
In recognition of our environmental policies, we are the only Travel Company ever to be fully endorsed by the Wilderness Society in Australia. In 2001, we received the National Travel Industry’s Environmental Achievement Award, presented by WWF Australia, for our responsible tourism policies.
In addition, we create excellent adventures! Our trips have featured in the world’s most prestigious magazines and newspapers including: OUTSIDE magazine, both National Geographic Adventure & National Geographic Traveler magazine, Wanderlust, The Sunday Times, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Age, The Sunday Telegraph (UK) plus much more. Visit www.worldexpeditions.com for details of all our adventures.
